Debate at highest political level in Norway following TV report on PMW findings
Norwegian NRK TV follow-up report, Feb. 11, 2013:
NRK narrator: "The Progress Party and the Christian Democratic Party want Norway to cut the aid to the PA unless the demonization and hatred of Jews is stopped. Yesterday, NRK [TV] reported that the PA finances and partially controls a TV channel that broadcasts hatred of Jews."
PMW-translated video from PA TV is shown
(PA TV:) "[Faced with the Jews' schemes,] Europe could not bear their character traits, monopolies, corruption, and their control and climbing up positions in government..."
(PA TV:) "[Faced with the Jews' schemes,] Europe could not bear their character traits, monopolies, corruption, and their control and climbing up positions in government..."
NRK narration: "This is from PA TV this year, where classic Antisemitic beliefs about Jews with negative traits are broadcast. NRK's report on the Sunday Evening News, where we reported on the demonization and hatred of Jews in PA TV, is now causing strong reactions in [Norwegian] Parliament."
NRK narrator: "Norway has since 2008 provided over 300 million kroner a year in budget support to the PA. They are the ones who finance and partially control PA TV. The Progress Party believes that this support should now be reevaluated."Morten Høglund, Foreign policy spokesman (Progress Party): "We must use the power we have, and as a major donor to the PA, we must fight fire with fire and say that we will stop the aid unless the PA takes immediate action to stop this type of hate message."
NRK reporter: "Should Norway cut budget support to the PA if it continues?"
Hans Olav Syversen, Member of Parliament (Christian Democratic Party): "Yes, I believe we should, because you have to send a clear political signal that we as a donor country also want to reinforce the peace process. I think anyone who sees this realizes that this contributes to the opposite."
NRK narrator: "It is not relevant for Norway to cut aid to the PA, the Foreign Ministry told NRK [TV] yesterday. Today, the Foreign Ministry has not had the opportunity to comment on the criticism."
Exerpt from spontaneous questions session in Norwegian Parliament, Feb. 13, 2013:
Following Norwegian NRK TV's original 11-minute report on PMW, a long debate took place in Norwegian Parliament in which the three opposition parties - the Conservative Party, the Progress Party and the Christian Democratic Party - challenged the Norwegian Foreign Minister about Norway's funding of the PA. MP Hans Olav Syversen of the Christian Democratic Party asked the Foreign Minister what the government intends to do this time, noting that this is not the first time Norway has objected to Antisemitism broadcast by PA TV:
MP Hans Olav Syversen: "...we are talking about state-funded and state-controlled TV broadcasts from the Palestinian territories. It is, with due respect, not the first time this problem (i.e., Antisemitic messages on PA TV) has been discussed. I have here a long list of questions that the Christian Democratic Party among others has asked about the same [issue], since 2000. My question is: what are you doing now with the PA so that this may come to an end, contrary to what has been done in the past, when you (i.e., the Norwegian Foreign Ministry) also said that you would bring it up with the Palestinian side?"